Africa's customers tough to reach

Distribution is the biggest challenge for companies trying to do business in Africa, says global management consulting company Accenture.

In a report on consumers in Africa, it says more than 60% of people in Africa live in rural areas and have limited access to transport. As a result, covering "the last mile" to reach the consumer can be extremely costly and difficult.

Africa is becoming more attractive to companies as its consumer market is growing, while more developed markets shrink or grow at slow rates.

"But just because a product has worked in a developed market, don't assume it will work in Africa," said Grant Hatch, executive director of strategy at Accenture.

Accenture is expecting consumer spending in sub-Saharan Africa to rise to nearly $1-trillion by 2020. It has grown 4% a year, reaching nearly $600-billion last year.

"We re-checked the numbers because they seemed too optimistic. But huge changes are likely to take place in the next 10 years," said Hatch.

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